How to play Paranoia.

Paranoia is a party game built on one uncomfortable idea: someone says your name out loud, and you do not know why. One player hears a question in secret, answers it by naming someone in the room, and then chance decides whether everyone else finds out what the question was.

It works with friends, flatmates, couples and big groups, and it gets better the more people there are.

1. Sit in a circle.
2. Whisper a question to the person next to you — usually “Who is most likely to…” or “Who in this room…”.
3. They answer out loud by saying one person’s name. Nobody else hears the question.
4. Flip a coin. Heads, the question is revealed to everyone. Tails, it stays secret for ever.
5. The person who answered whispers the next question, and play moves round the circle.

Need inspiration? See some example Paranoia questions.

The drinking version

Some groups play that the person who was named has to take a drink to hear the question. Drinking is always optional — in the Paranoia app, Drinking Mode only comes on if the whole group agrees, and every drinking prompt has a non-drinking option.

Pay to know

Instead of a coin, the named player can choose to take a forfeit to hear the question.

Themed rounds

Agree a theme for a round — work, dating, the family, uni — and only ask questions that fit.

1. The next reader is chosen. The app calls a name. Pass them the phone.
2. Only they see the question. It stays on their screen — nobody else gets to see it.
3. They say one name out loud, then lock it in.
4. The reveal decides. Green keeps the question secret for good. Red shows it to everyone.

You choose how far to go with four levels: Nice, Mild, Spicy and Insane. Insane is only available with Paranoia Pro, and everyone has to agree before it starts.

Choose ONE PHONE to pass one iPhone or iPad round the group. OWN PHONES is the best way to play: everyone joins on their own device, round the same table or miles apart, and each question stays on its reader’s screen.

Jokers

Now and then a Joker turns up instead of a question. It might lower your odds, hand the next turn to someone else, or let one player see a question that stays secret.

Forfeits

If you would rather not answer, take a forfeit instead. Turn the forfeit down too, and your next question gets harder to keep secret.

Pay to reveal

With Paranoia Pro, when a question stays secret the person who was named can do a forfeit to open it anyway. It is the app’s version of paying to know.

Inner Circle

With just two of you, there is no one else in the room to name. Inner Circle turns every question towards the people you both know. Say the name out loud; the question stays with you.

The night debrief

When you finish, the app shows how the night went: who got named most, who kept picking each other, and how many secrets escaped.

• Start on Nice. Let everyone learn the reveal before the questions get personal.
• Agree the level together. Paranoia is bold, but nobody should ever be forced.
• Get more people in. Paranoia works for 2 to 20 players, and some questions and twists only appear once the group is big enough.
• Keep it about the game. The best nights are the ones everyone wants to play again.